Jack Nicholson has romanced his fair share of beautiful, intriguing women during his time as a Hollywood playboy, but none of them have ever been fictional before. Nicholson reportedly told Terrence Howard that he “has a crush on Cookie,” the character played by Howard’s Empire co-star, Taraji P. Henson. While on the Emmy red carpet Sunday night, Henson relayed the story to a reporter from People with her trademark Cookie-like sense of brashness.
Terrence told me Jack Nicholson is a fan. Jack. Nicholson. Is a fan of Empire. And I was like, 'What did he say about Cookie?' and he has a crush on Cookie!...Jack, call me! We haven't worked together yet, I'm just saying.
Well, look at that, Boo Boo Kitty! Cookie Lyons would eat this attention right up. Can you imagine Cookie getting this kind of notice from a power player in any field and not soaking it into her leopard print clad, fuchsia fur wearing bones? Aging man or not, she’d do whatever she had to in order to get her hands into his pockets, head back to Empire Entertainment and get what’s hers. She’d probably also make sure that some people she’s not so fond of are completely destroyed in the process.
Taraji P. Henson is definitely the breakout star of Empire and, possibly, of all of the 2014-2015 television season. Her command of the sassy, sexy, wild and downright bitchy woman slighted, ignored and ready for payback has already led to talk of a new Cookie-focused prequel show. You can bet Cookie would adore that attention, too.
Meanwhile, it would be fair to say that the 78-year-old star is a big deal in the Hollywood pantheon of famous actors. Jack Nicholson’s success certainly didn’t stop him from enjoying many relationships over the decades. But, now in his later years, he’s worried about no longer being able to find someone to spend his life with. He also lamented not being able to hit on women publicly any more. He spoke to Closer Magazine about his dilemma earlier this year.
I’m definitely still wild at heart, but I’ve struck biogravity. I can’t hit on women in public anymore. I didn’t decide this; it just doesn’t feel right at my age.
Jack Nicholson’s very public love life has been tabloid fodder for decades. His checkered romantic history even got him labeled “Jack the Jumper” by most actresses, models and singers. And yet…
How awesome would it be if Jack Nicholson and Taraji P. Henson started hanging out? I mean, for real hanging out. Fancy dinners in private sections of high-end restaurants. Showing up at next year’s Academy Awards together and canoodling in the front row. This scenario is now the stuff of my enthusiastic imaginings. And all we need to get this started is for Empire Executive Producer Lee Daniels to offer Nicholson an arc on the massively popular show. I can only guess that Jack the Jumper would love to tangle with Cookie on the small screen for all to see. Man, my mind is going in totally new directions now.
Find Empire on Fox every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET.
